Tis Better To Give
by James Doyle
Summary: Cody Martin returns to college for his senior year, only to discover, through a series of SNAFUs, the identity of his mysterious benefactor. Mild language, suggestive dialog.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

_Author's Notes:_

_There's a shout-out in here, but it's not a crossover_

The Suite Life on Deck _is still in the future, so once again, it's being ignored. Just knowing it exists seriously cramps my style. This is set far enough in the future that it shouldn't make a difference._

Standard Disclaimer: Any characters in this story that you've seen on TV are the intellectual property of the Walt Disney Company. Go ahead, try and sue a guy with a negative net worth!

Without further ado…

'**Tis Better to Give**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter One

On a steamy morning in August of 2013, Cody Martin awoke in his motel room. After spending his adolescent years living in a five-star hotel, he actually found the modest accommodations somewhat refreshing. He put himself through a minimum of a morning ritual before checking out.

Once checked out, Cody wasted no time in hitting the road in his rented EconoMove truck. In previous years, he'd made this journey with his mother and brother, but this time, he decided to make the trip solo. After all, it wouldn't do for a young man to show up for his senior year at Middleton Institute of Science and Technology with his mother in tow.

Cody looked at the clock on the dashboard as he merged onto Interstate 70. By his calculations, he would arrive in Colorado in with just enough time to haul the bare essentials up to his apartment before turning in. Cody dreaded the thought of having to round up a team of volunteers to help move his furniture.

Cody quickly swallowed his pride and counted his blessings. Even though Cody's grades, test scores, letters of recommendation, and extra-curricular activities had been excellent, scholarships were extremely competitive. Though he had easily gained admission to MIST, the aid package they offered him covered only about half of the cost of tuition, and this with the least attractive possible room and board options.

Then, an answer came to his prayers. Just as he was about to defer to his fourth choice for reasons of affordability, he received a letter from the bursar's office at MIST informing him that his tuition had been paid, and included a generous room and board allowance. They assured him that it was all perfectly legal, but that his benefactor had asked to remain anonymous, and that their privacy policy required them to honor this request. From then on, he had always found his tuition paid in full, even when he was unable to renew almost half of his scholarships.

Cody arrived in Middleton about an hour after sunset. He dragged an overnight bag and a bedroom up two flights of steps to his apartment. Much to his chagrin, his key seemed not to work. After several more tries, he attempted to let himself in with a credit card. No dice: The deadbolt had been set.

Cody tried calling his landlord several times, each time getting voice-mail. He decided to give up for the evening and headed back toward the truck. He sprawled out across the cab and slept a surprisingly restful sleep, probably from sheer exhaustion, he gathered.

The next morning, Cody awoke to the sound of his cellphone ringing. He checked the caller ID, which identified the caller as Jim Rojas, his landlord. Cody quickly answered.

"Mr. Rojas, thank goodness!" he said.

"Cody, I've been trying to get a hold of you for the past two days!" exclaimed Rojas. "Where have you been?"

"I just drove over the mountains," explained Cody. "I've been in and out of range. What's up?"

"You're three months behind on rent," scolded Rojas. "I had to rent the place to someone else."

"That's absurd!" protested Cody. "I've never missed a payment."

"Yeah, thanks to your mystery payer. Whoever he is, it looks like he dropped the ball this time."

"I've gotta go," said Cody. "I'll get back to you."

"Feel free," said Rojas. "If you can pay back what you owe, I've got some other properties."

Cody revved up the truck and headed straight away to the Bursar's Office. He arrived there about ten minutes later, looking rather conspicuous as the only truck in the visitors' parking lot. He ran for the administration building, only to double back and retrieve his keys and his wallet.

"I think there might be a problem with my tuition," gasped Cody as his turn came around.

"Key in your student ID number," instructed the cashier, pointing to a small USB keypad. Cody did as instructed.

"Cody Martin?" confirmed the cashier.

"That's me," replied Cody.

"Yes, I'm afraid there is a problem. Your financial aid came in, but it only covers about half of your tuition."

"How could that be?" said Cody as he began to panic. "It's always been taken care of."

The cashier typed in a few more commands. "You might want to contact your third-party payer."

"Great, just tell me who that is, and I'll get right on it."

The cashier frowned. "I'm sorry, sir, I can't do that. Institutional privacy policy."

Cody sighed as he turned away. "Thanks anyway," he said.

The cashier nodded. "Sorry I couldn't be of more help."

Cody made his way back toward the parking lot, ready to take the truck back to Boston. He decided all was not lost. He could transfer to a state school. It wouldn't be ideal, but he could finish his degree and get into a good grad school.

Suddenly, the image of a familiar figure rushing past interrupted Cody's introspection. He thought it a strange image for his subconscious to cough up. It took him a moment that he had indeed seen this person. Curious to know who it was, he turned back.

Looking back at the Bursar's Office, he found the familiar figure to be none other than London Tipton.

"Okay, I think this is everything," said London as she removed papers from a folder.

"Invoice, third-party payment form, cashier's check," confirmed the cashier. "Which covers everything but the late fee."

"Late fee?" protested London. "I was out of the country! You should be more respectful of someone who just handed you a check for twenty thousand dollars."

The cashier growled. "Miss Tipton, I'm afraid I can't make exceptions. If I'm going to process this payment, there's a two hundred dollar late fee."

London's face perked up. "Oh, is that all?" She reached into her purse and handed the cashier a few bills. "Keep the change."

The cashier shook her head. "Miss Tipton, I'm not allowed to accept gratuities."

"Well, I'm not taking it back," replied London as she walked away. The cashier sighed and set the money aside, resolved to put it Keg House's Make-A-Wish Foundation jar.

As London rounded the corner, she came face-to-face with Cody Martin. They both froze in place, London with embarrassment, and Cody with shock.

"Cody, what are you doing here?" demanded London.

"What am I doing here?" shouted Cody. "I go to school here. The question is, what are _you _doing here?"

"I...I..."

"You're paying my tuition! All these years, it was you! I should have known!"

:London scrunched up her face. "You don't have to thank me. It's not like I was doing anything worthwhile with my money"

"Thank you?" gasped Cody as he got in London's face. "Do you think I'm some kind of charity case? Are you giving me your chump change because you feel sorry for me? Well, forget it! Me and my family have always gotten by on our own, and we still can!"

"Dammit, Cody!" yelled London. Upon attracting the attention of the entire building, she dragged Cody outside to continue the argument. "That's not it at all!"

"Well, what is it?" demanded Cody. "I honestly can't think of any other reason why you'd throw money at me."

A tear streaked down London's face. "Because I love you."

**End of Chapter One**


	2. Chapter 2

**Tis Better to Give**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Two

"You love me?" Cody said flatly, still in disbelief.

London reached for her cell phone to call for her driver.

"Who are you calling?" asked Cody.

"This is going to take some time to explain. I'd really rather discuss this over lunch."

Cody took hold of the phone and closed it. "If we're gonna talk, it'll be on my turf."

London removed her high heels and walked several blocks with Cody to a nearby diner. She had only seen such a place with her own eyes a few times in her life. She had to admit, it made her a little uneasy. Nonetheless, she wanted to make Cody as comfortable as possible.

Cody and London obeyed a sign instructing them to seat themselves. They chose a booth in the rear beside the bathrooms. The waitress came shortly thereafter to give them menus and take their drink orders.

"Coffee, black," said Cody, a stiff drink being out of the question at this hour.

"And for you, hon?" asked the waitress, looking at London.

"Just some water with lemon, please."

"You love me," reiterated Cody as the waitress walked away.

"Yes, Cody," replied London. "I love you."

"So what's this about, then? Were you planning on spilling the beans after I graduated? Did you think you could just buy my affection?"

"No, absolutely not," sobbed London. "Cody, after all these years, do you really think so little of me?"

"London..." called Cody just as London began to get up. "Please, don't go. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I said that."

London looked up at him.

Cody continued. "I know you're not the air-headed socialite everyone thinks you are. I know you're putting your reputation on the line being seen in a place like this with me. That speaks volumes about how much you care about me. I guess the only question in my mind is, what's all this got to do with you giving me money?"

London reached across the table and took Cody's hand. "Cody, it's not about money. One thing I always treasured about our relationship is it was never about money. "

"What is it about, then?"

"You and your family have taught me so much about love," explained London. "And one thing I've learned about love is that when you love someone, you want to see him become the best he can be. You want him to do what God put him on this earth to do. And you don't want anything to hold him back, especially not something as stupid as money."

"You weren't planning on telling me, were you?"

London shook her head. "I had every intention of taking this secret to the grave. Every so-called good deed I've ever done has gotten me some sort of recognition. 'Yay me!', right? No, not this time. I knew that if I really loved you, this had to be just for you."

The two of them sat wordless for a few moments. Cody looked upon London. He'd suspected it before, but seeing the sincerity in her eyes, he now knew for certain that she was as beautiful within as she was without.

"Are y'all ready to order?" asked the waitress.

"I think we'll just be taking the check, please," replied London.

Cody waited outside with London for her driver to arrive.

"I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now," admitted Cody. "But I've really missed you, and I'd like to keep in touch. If nothing else, it might help avoid these sorts of misunderstandings in the future."

London smiled. "Feel free to call me," said said as she handed Cody a business card, an action necessitated by the fact that being paparazzi-fodder required her to change her number frequently. At that moment, London's limo pulled up, and a valet got out and held the door for her.

"You're paid up until graduation," said London as she got in the car. "And whatever you do, please don't think you owe me anything."

Having missed his first two classes, Cody returned to campus and attended his last class. Distraught from his exchange with London, and in dire need of a shower and shave, he found it difficult to concentrate. As soon as class ended, he reactivated his cell phone and listened to his voice mail.

"Hey Cody, it's Jim Rojas," said one of the messages. "You'll never believe this! London Tipton just bought one of my condos! She said you'd drop by to pick up the keys. Give me a call back and let me know what time is good for you."

Cody then called the local EconoMove office to request an additional day's rental, only to find out that it'd been taken care of. As he drove toward Jim Rojas' residence, he thought about everything that had transpired that day. The woman that the whole world thought incapable of anything beneficial to anyone but herself had secretly committed the most selfless act he had ever witnessed.

As he pondered this, he realized London had probably made numerous other anonymous contributions. He still didn't fully understand why she would hide such compassion beneath such a shallow and superficial public image. He resolved, then and there, to explore the inner beauty of London Tipton, any way he could.

And what of this love of hers? Did she love him as a sister loves a brother? Or was she in love with him. Cody had to admit, London hadn't been very clear on that point. He needed to figure it out, and he needed to figure out his own feelings for London. It would require him to continue doing something he'd been doing his entire college career:

Swallow his pride, and count his blessings.

**End of Chapter Two**


	3. Chapter 3

Tis Better to Give

_A/N: It's a short chapter, and almost entirely introspection._

**Tis Better to Give**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Three

Cody walked out of the classroom with a smile on his face. He had just handed in the introduction to his Seminar in Aeronautics term paper, confident that he'd given his best work to date. Soon after he reactivated his cell phone, his mood perked up even higher from the sound of the second movement of Mendelssohn's Reformation Symphony emanating from his phone.

"Hi London," he answered.

"Hey Cody," greeted London. "How'd your paper presentation go?"

"Spectacularly," boasted Cody. "And what about your Microeconomics exam?"

London sighed. "I got a C, which is alright, I guess."

"It's not the end of the world," assured Cody. "You can bring your grade up later in the semester."

"That's the thing," said London. "I'm not sure I can. I don't know about all this, Cody. I thought going to a state school would be easier."

Cody had known that Harvard would put an unfair amount of pressure on London, and he felt an intense desire to wring the neck of whoever invented legacy admissions.

"Have you consulted a tutor?" asked Cody.

"I haven't yet, but I don't see any other option."

"Don't wait another day, London," admonished Cody. "Never be ashamed to ask for help."

"I wish you were here right now, Cody. I know you could help me with this. You could always explain things to me, and you never made me feel stupid."

It wasn't exactly true. Cody had impugned London's intelligence on several occasions, though he'd never been quite as vicious as his brother Zack. But once London had stopped taking advantage of him and began to truly appreciate his generosity, he couldn't help but be more gracious toward her.

"That's because you're not stupid, London," encouraged Cody. "I know all this business theory seems difficult now, but someday it'll all click."

"I hope you're right," replied London. "Listen, I'm meeting with Chelsea for dinner in a few minutes. I'll talk to you later."

"Sounds good," said Cody. "Have a good time."

"Thanks," she said just because she hung up the phone. "I love you."

The conversation ended with those three words from London, just as so before it had. Cody and London had started calling each other about once a week. It had gradually increased to its current frequency of about every other day.

About five phone calls prior, Cody had realized that he loved London. But he didn't want to tell her over the phone. She had had the courage and the decency to tell him to his face, and he wanted to do no less for her.

Cody arrived home at about six that evening. He set aside his backpack and threw some leftovers in the microwave. He reflected upon the size of his condo. In some ways, he wished London had furnished him with something smaller. His old apartment had been just the right size for one person. This condo, he thought, was meant for a family.

A family. He missed his parents and his brother terribly. The failure of his parents' marriage was insufficient to sour him on the notion of starting a family of his own. The mother of his children had always looked like whatever girl had interested him at the time. As he entered college and lay aside the pursuit of romance, she became more of a vague notion than an imagine. Ever since they had reconnected, however, that woman began to look more and more like London Tipton.

He stopped himself for a moment. Indeed, he loved London Tipton, but was he in love with her?

"In love," he muttered to himself. "Just what the hell does that mean, anyway?"

What indeed? Tuxedos and violins? Hearts and flowers? For certain, he would romance the woman in his life in any way he could. But his feelings went far beyond that. More than anything, he desired to have woman as generous, compassionate, and fanatically persevering as London Tipton stand beside him for life. The fact that she was the most spectacularly beautiful woman he had ever met only entered his mind after contemplating everything else.

A few days later, he called London Tipton. Much to his surprise, she picked up after only two rings.

"Hey Cody," she answered.

"Hi London," greeted Cody. "How's it going?"

"Great!" she exclaimed. "I went to see the tutor yesterday, and she explained everything. It all makes perfect sense now! I can't believe I didn't see it before."

Cody smiled. "Sometimes you just need a different perspective on things."

"I should've realized that, too," noted London. "There were a lot of things I didn't understand until I saw the world through your eyes."

"I'm really glad I could help you," said Cody.

"Cody, is something wrong?" asked London, sensing the solemnity of his voice.

"No, nothing's wrong," answered Cody. "It's just…London, I need to see you."

"I'd really like that," replied London. "Why don't you come to my place? The folks around here would be thrilled to see you."

"Yeah, sounds good. Fall break is coming up in a few weeks."

"Great! I'll send my jet for you."

"Okay. I've got some studying to do, so I'll talk to you later."

"Alrighty. I love you."

Cody almost let the words slip from his mouth, but caught himself. He needed her to see the same sincerity in his eyes that he had seen in hers when she had said those same words.


	4. Chapter 4

Tis Better to Give

**Tis Better to Give**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Four

Cody looked out of the window of London Tipton's comfortably-appointed jet. Though disappointed she'd opted not to make the trip out to Middleton with it, he nonetheless looked forward to seeing her.

For the most part, at any rate. An element of doubt in the back of his mind kept reminding him of the possibility that he may have misinterpreted London, and that her love for him was merely platonic. But that didn't make any sense. Why would she tell him she loved him at the end of every phone call? His answer would come soon enough, as the plane had begun its descent into Boston.

The plane taxied for a spell, then came to a stop on the tarmac. As the hatch opened, a blast of cold air caught him by surprise. An early storm had left about an inch of snow upon the surrounding ground. It continued to fall, melting as it hit the tarmac.

Cody descended the steps, and saw a familiar figure exiting the waiting limo. He ran toward her, but then slipped on the wet tarmac and fell. He lay on the tarmac in his embarrassment for a moment. He looked up to find the gloved hand of London Tipton extended to help him up. He took hold of her hand, using the other hand to take hold of her forearm and pull himself up. He almost pulled her back down with him, and they laughed as they struggled to regain their balance.

As their laughter faded, Cody looked deeply into London's beautiful almond shaped eyes. He had wanted to wait until their first actual date to tell her, but he sensed that the moment was right.

"I love you," he said to her.

"I know," replied London as she began to cry. "I know that you needed to tell me in person. I love you, too."

They put an arm around one another for stability, then drew one another in for a hug. London backed away slightly. Cody stopped her by brushing her hair out of her face and wiping the tears from her cheekbone. He took a deep breath, then closed his eyes and took aim at her face. They opened their eyes and laughed when they banged noses.

London took hold of his face and guided it to hers. It began as a rather chaste kiss, but Cody found the courage to deepen the kiss into the most passionate either of them had ever experienced.

"Miss Tipton," called the valet. Cody and London returned to reality and made their way to the limo, hand in hand.

The couple remained silent for the journey to the Tipton, content simply to bask in the comfort of one another's arms. Cody reflected upon how eight years ago, everyone would have laughed at the idea of him and London becoming a couple, he and London included.

The limo pulled up to the Tipton, and London and Cody proceeded to London's penthouse, giving a brief nod to the night manager as they passed. Once inside, they shed their winter garments, then embraced and kissed once again. As hands began to move, Cody broke the kiss.

"Cody, what's wrong?" gasped London.

"Nothing yet," replied Cody, leading London over to the sofa.

"What do you mean?"

"You should realize, London, that I've never been with a woman," explained Cody. "I won't ask what your experience is."

"No, it's fine," said London. "I've come close a few times, but I've never gone all the way"

"That's good," said Cody. "I think we need to be careful not to get too physical too fast."

"I've been thinking this over for the last few months," argued London. "I want my first time to be with you."

Cody squeezed her hand gently. "I want to give myself to you, too. Hopefully, we will. But not tonight. Call me old-fashioned, but I want the woman I marry to be the only woman I've ever been with."

London giggled. "You always were old-fashioned, Cody Martin. And I've always loved that about you."

"So," said Cody, changing the subject. "What to do with our fall break."

"Why don't you take me to one of those symphonies you're always raving about?" suggested London.

"I thought you hated classical music."

"I used to," admitted London. "But after I flunked out of Harvard, I'd pretty much lost my taste for hanging out with the rich kids. So when I started at ZooMass, I started hanging out with the really deep, thoughtful kids. They all listened to classical music, and it kind of grew on me."

"Alright, then," said Cody. "Let's have a look at the schedule." He walked over to the computer and looked up the Boston Symphony's schedule. Much to his delight, they would be playing one of his favorites: Mendelssohn's Reformation Symphony. Cody showed it to London, and she clapped her hands with excitement. Cody navigated immediately to online ticket sales.

"We can get much better seats than that," noted London. "Unless you're offended that I've been paying for everything."

Cody stood up and turned to face London, taking her hand in his. "Believe it or not, the cheap seats have the best acoustics," informed Cody.

"So you're okay with me paying?" asked London.

"Well, I hope that isn't always the case," replied Cody, "But there's one thing we've both had to do to make this relationship happen."

"And what's that?"

"Swallow our pride and count our blessings."

**End of Chapter Four**


	5. Chapter 5

Tis Better to Give

_A/N: I don't know whether the Martins celebrate Christmas or not. I sure hope they're not Jewish! If so, I can substitute another festive occasion._

**Tis Better to Give**

**By**

**James Doyle**

Chapter Five

Finals week had ended, and Cody looked forward to some much-needed rest. More than that, he looked forward to his reunion with his family, and with his beloved London.

The night before Christmas, Cody had done his best to decorate his condo. He left the tree-trimming for the arrival of his loved ones. At about seven, he heard a knock on his door. He answered it, and found London and his brother Zack standing before him.

"Hey nerd-boy," taunted Zack. "This here hot chick was looking for you. I told her there had to be some kind of mistake."

Cody laughed as he threw his arms around his brother. He then kissed and hugged his girlfriend, and hugged his mother, who brought up the rear.

The most time-consuming task proved to be London's desire to string the lights, and Zack explaining how to do it. At about eleven o'clock, they drank hot cocoa and admired their handiwork.

London met up with Cody on his way back from the bathroom, wanting to speak with him privately.

"I have some great news," said London. "I'm transferring to U of Upperton."

Cody embraced London. "That's awesome. What prompted this?"

"I just know we're meant to be, and I couldn't stand to be away from you any longer. With you getting accepted into the grad program at MIST, the obvious place for us is here."

Cody reached up to the top shelf of one of the kitchen cabinets and removed something from a plain paper bag. He'd been holding onto it for about a month, and he knew the time was right.

Cody stood in front of the Christmas tree, and motioned to London to come join him.

"Start the camera rolling," he requested. Zack did as asked.

Cody took London's hand and descended upon bended knee before her.

"I've rehearsed about five hundred different versions of this in my mind. All I can say is, I love you, and I'm grateful for the bizarre series of events that brought us together finally. London Tipton, will you be my wife?"

"Oh my gosh!" gasped London. "Yes, yes, absolutely yes!"

Cody rose to his feet and drew his future bride in for a kiss. His family applauded.

"Somewhere in the back of my mind, I always pictured the two of you together," commented Carey. "I was starting to think I was losing my mind."

Everyone laughed.

After everyone had gone to bed, Cody came out to the kitchen for a glass of water, where he found London sitting on the sofa. She had obviously been crying.

"Oh dear!" said Cody as made his way over to the sofa and sat beside his fiancée. "What's wrong, London?"

"I probably should've told you this earlier," apologized London. "But I told my dad a few weeks ago that I wanted to marry you."

"And?"

"He wasn't very happy about it. Let's just say, if I go through with this, he won't cut me off, but I won't have carte blanche to spend his money any longer, either. Cody, I want more than anything for you to be my husband. But do you think it might be wise to hold off for awhile?"

"Your tuition will be paid for, right?"

London nodded. "He wants me to finish school, whatever I do."

"I have grad assistantships. We won't be living extravagantly, but we'll get by."

"I have a lot of stuff back in Boston that I can sell," added London.

"Are you sure you want to do that?"

London nodded. "That's not me anymore, anyway."

"It'll have to be a small wedding," noted Cody.

"I can live with that. If my dad won't come, I'll ask Moseby to walk me down the aisle."

Cody held his woman tightly. "He'll come to accept us in time."

"How?"

"He'll swallow his pride and count his blessings."

**The Ebd**


End file.
